Late Runs Lift Wilkes Baseball to Victory

FORT PIERCE, Fl. – A three-run eighth proved the difference as the Wilkes University baseball team defeated Kenyon College 7-5 on Thursday afternoon.

The Colonels improved to 2-4 with the win.

Wilkes opened the scoring in the top of the third Matt Reinert (Telford, PA/Souderton) hit a one-out triple and scored on Michael Patrizio's (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) double one batter later.

Kenyon responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame to take the lead.

Not to be outdone, the Colonels crossed the plate three times to take a 4-3 advantage in the top of the fourth. Nick Malatesta (Bloomsburg, PA/Bloomsburg) hit a one-out triple and scored on Bryan Nifenecker's (Amityville, NY/St. Dominic) sacrifice fly. With two outs, Jonah Harder (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) singled and came around on a double from Darren Kerdesky (Dallas, PA/Dallas), who scored on a single from Reinert.

The Lords retook the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fourth.

The score held until the top of the eighth when Wilkes pushed three runs across with the help of three Kenyon errors.

 Jonathan Martens (Mt. Pocono, PA/Scranton Prep) earned his first collegiate victory, tossing 4.2 innings allowing one run on four hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Andrew Indzonka (New Windsor, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) earned his first save of the season with a scoreless final inning and a third. JT Hibschman (Millville, NJ/Millville) started on the mound for the Colonels, surrendering four runs on five hits with four walks and two strikeouts over 3.0 innings.

Reinert led Wilkes at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI. Patrizio went 2-for-4 with an RBI while Nifenecker was 1-for-2 with a run scored and two RBI's.

The Colonels continue their spring trip tomorrow when they face Houghton College at 1:00 p.m.